TIM BARNES - Lost Words

Tim Barnes is a storied drummer, engineer

and producer whose CV encompasses col-
laborations with a serious who's-who of late

20th and early 21st century music. Most
well known as one of the two drummers

(alongside Glenn Kotche) on Jim O'Ro-
urke's seminal late 90s and early 2000s

recordings, Tim has recorded, performed
and collaborated with Tony Conrad, Faust,
Alan Licht, P.G. Six, Silver Jews, Sonic
Youth, Stereolab, The Tower Recordings,
Ken Vandermark, Wilco, John Zorn and

countless other artists working at the for-
ward edge of improvised and experimental

music. For many years he was the proprietor
of the boutique Quakebasket label, which
documented much of this music, as well as
reissuing seminal works by Angus MacLise,

the original drummer for the Velvet Under-
ground. Now, the Quakebasket imprint

has been revived to issue music Tim has

recorded over the last several years with col-
laborators from throughout his music career.

In 2021, Tim was diagnosed with early
onset Alzheimer's at the age of 54, and he

and his family went public with this imme-
diately. The response from Tim's network of

friends and musical peers was overwhelming, but the lingering shutdown meant
only remote and long-distance interactions were possible. Beginning in late 2021,
a large body of recordings coordinated and assembled by Tim's longtime friend
Ken (Bundy) Brown, with whom Tim had worked in the past as a member of the
group Pullman, early pioneers of the new Americana movement in the indie scene
of the late 90s.
Lost Words features the playing of Joshua Abrams, Ken Brown, David Daneill,
Darin Gray, David Grubbs, Glenn Kotche, Tara Jane O'Neil, Jim O'Rourke, Ken
Vandermark and Britt Walford. Alongside its companion album, Noumena, Lost
Words represents the culmination of years of work and demonstrates Tim's infectious
energy and depth as a percussionist across a broad sweep of styles.
"To be blessed not only with good friends but also such marvelously talented
friends! Tim Barnes remains an inspiration not only as a world-class musician but
also for bringing together artists who might otherwise not have met. And so it's
perfectly apt to see this awesome gathering of folks in a dreamt-of round robin of
playing with Tim magisterially at the hub, beautifully and lovingly assembled by
Bundy K. Brown."

-David Grubbs
"I've been making music with Tim for over 25 years and have been lucky enough
to not only double drum with him, but also improvise in many settings and make
two duo recordings as well. He's always been the brightest of lights musically and
personally. I've learned so much from Tim-someone who I've always referred to
as a musical encyclopedia-and am filled with joy that these recordings showcasing
Tim's artistry are becoming available so everyone can hear and be reminded of
his talents."

-Glenn Kotche

"Tim Barnes has always been a gentle, yet commanding, presence in the micro-ex-
perimental-underground praxis of North American "new music". His concepts of

percussion moving into electro-acoustic phenomena have always been an exalted
balance of the organic and the intellectual; the sound of pure thought transcended

through inspiration. Regardless of this hyperbole, what is exacted in Barnes' impro-
visations and compositions is the constant essence of beautiful music."

Vinyl release of Tim Barnes - Lost Words. Released through DRAG CITY and available on LP.